Sunday, November 4, 2018

Unfolded Words

The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

Psalm 119:130, NIV

She withdrew the folded piece of paper from her pocket with reverence. Handing it to my husband, the young mother swelled with hope, her face broadening with expectation. The edges of the paper were fuzzied and the well-worn surface felt like soft cloth. Unfolding it, careful not to tear the fragile creases, he read the words inside aloud.

“Come get a new smile. Free surgeries.”

With the reading of the words, the little crowd assembled in this humble woman’s home burst into celebration.

A small boy peeked around the young woman’s legs, his broken lips forming a beautiful smile. Scooping him up in her arms, his mother began to dance. Mother and child looked into each other’s eyes, faces flooded with joy.

In some countries, the illiterate treasure the written word more than the literate. They persevere, hoping that one day they will understand the words on the page.

Let us not squander our literacy. There are those who are waiting for our words to bring them new life.

As Christian writers, we are unfolders of God’s words. But before we can give them to our listeners, we must first unfold them for ourselves.

The unfolding of God’s words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. We need light, and we need understanding if we are to share words that give people hope and joy. We must spend daily time with God in His Word, in the posture of the simple, desiring to be made wise.

If we make this one practice our discipline, we will have understanding. We will bear light into the darkness. Our words will cause celebration and joy, healing and hope, because they have come from the sweet and sacred place of communion between a writer and her Savior.

Lord, remove the obstacles that keep me from spending daily time in the Bible. As I read it, give light and understanding to my simple heart that I may share your words with others. Amen.

Audrey Frank is an author, speaker, and storyteller. The stories she shares are brave and true.They give voice to those whose words are silenced by shame, the hard things in life that don’t make sense, and the losses that leave us wondering if we will survive. Audrey and her family have spent over twenty years living and working among different cultures and world views, and she has found that God’s story of redemption spans every geography (geographical location)and culture. He is the God of Instead, giving honor instead of shame, gladness instead of mourning, hope instead of despair. Although she has three different degrees in communication and intercultural studies, Audrey’s greatest credential is that she is known and loved by the One who made her.

Her upcoming book, From Shame to Honor, is an outpouring of Audrey’s heart to introduce others to the God of Instead. Shame is not unique to the developing world, the plight of the women behind veils, young girls trafficked across borders; shame is lurking in hearts everywhere. Through powerful stories from women around the world, From Shame to Honor illuminates the power of the Gospel to remove shame, giving honor instead. Look for it through Harvest House Publishers in the fall of 2018.